


Sunburn

by jaradel



Series: Check Please Tumblr Ficlets [8]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Fluff, Jack's visit to Madison, M/M, Sunburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-04 19:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10287707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaradel/pseuds/jaradel
Summary: Jack's Canadian skin is no match for the Georgia sun.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All characters belong to [Ngozi](http://ngoziu.tumblr.com), creator of [Check Please!](http://omgcheckplease.tumblr.com)
> 
> Unbeta'ed, all mistakes are my own.
> 
> Originally published to Tumblr July 9th, 2016.

“Ow!”

“I’m sorry, honey, but if I don’t put this aloe on you, it’s going to hurt worse.”

“I have never had a sunburn. _Never_.”

“You’ve also never been south of the Mason-Dixon line before. Now, try to lay still. This will feel better soon, I promise.”

Jack lay on his stomach on Bitty’s twin bed, his arms stretched out on either side, though the bed really wasn’t wide enough for him to do that comfortably. Bitty straddled his ass, but not in anything remotely resembling a sexual way; he was very carefully trying to apply an aloe and lidocaine gel to Jack’s painful sunburn on his back and shoulders.

“I don’t know how I’m going to stand wearing a shirt for the next week.”

Bitty chuckles. “I did warn you not to play flag football shirtless in this weather.”

“But I put on sunscreen!”

“Which you promptly sweated off in the first hour. You were out there for at least two.”

“ _You_ didn’t get burned,” Jack grumbles.

“No, but I’m out in the sun a lot more than you, I carry sunscreen pretty much everywhere, and while you were tackling my cousins on a field with full sunlight, I was sitting in the shadiest spot I could find.”

“You’re enjoying this.”

Bitty sighs. “I’m really not. I don’t like seeing you in pain, sweetheart.”

Something inside Jack goes soft at Bitty’s tone. It was Bitty who he went to after tough losses last year; Bitty who tried to comfort him after Parse’s surprise visit; Bitty who found him after they lost in the championship and held him while he cried bitter tears. Bitty has always looked out for him, and tried to take care of him, even when Jack wasn’t very kind in return. And now Bitty is still taking care of him, and all he can do is gripe about it.

“I’m sorry, Bits. I don’t mean to be ungrateful.”

“Oh honey, it’s okay. I know you don’t mean anything by it. Sunburns suck, especially when you’re not used to dealing with them.”

Jack relaxes into the bed while Bitty gently spreads the cooling gel over his back and shoulders. It does feel fractionally better, maybe even more so because of the man taking care of him. Bitty’s touch is soft, careful, attentive, and Jack’s heart clenches a bit, thinking of just how much Bitty cares for him. How much he cares for Bitty in return.

Bitty’s hands leave him, and Jack hears him cap the bottle and wipe his hands on a towel. He gently leans over and kisses Jack’s cheek. “Stay right here, I’ll get you some water.”

Jack smiles weakly. “Thanks, Bits. For everything.”

Bitty carefully moves off the bed, and crouches down where Jack can see him. He takes one of Jack’s hands in his, kissing the back of it reverently, and Jack’s heart feels tight in his chest.

“I will always take care of you, Jack. Always.”


End file.
